Keeping up with consumer demand, the telecommunications industry continues to design and build increasingly more efficient systems for handling volumes of data. The improved efficiency is manifested, among other ways, increasingly more rigorous standards being established pertaining to the connective apparatus associated with such systems. For example, in order to qualify as Category 6 compliant, connective hardware such as plugs and jacks must meet more rigorous requirements relating to inductance, capacitance, and crosstalk than they must for mere Category 5 compliance. As such, there is a need for more efficient connectors.
The present invention contemplates non-straight configurations for particular contacts within a telecommunication connector and/or the presence of a floating shield between particular contacts or particular groups of contacts within such a connector to achieve enhanced electrical properties for the connector.
In one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a jack in a telecommunications system for receiving a plug therein, the jack including a housing having an aperture for receiving the plug, a sled having a mating side and a non-mating side, the mating side generally disposed to be accessible from the aperture by the plug, a first plurality of contacts wrapped around the sled so as to extend from the non-mating side of the sled to the mating side of the sled, the first plurality of contacts being accessible by the plug on the mating side of the sled when the plug is inserted into the aperture, a second plurality of contacts wrapped around the sled so as to extend from the non-mating side of the sled to the mating side of the sled, the second plurality of contacts being accessible by the plug on the mating side of the sled when the plug is inserted into the aperture, and a floating shield disposed generally between the first plurality of contacts and the second plurality of contacts on the non-mating side of the sled.
In another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a jack in a telecommunications system for receiving a plug therein, the jack including a housing having an aperture for receiving the plug, a sled having a mating side and a non-mating side, the mating side generally disposed to be accessible from the aperture by the plug, a first plurality of contacts wrapped around the sled so as to extend from the non-mating side of the sled to the mating side of the sled, wherein the first plurality of contacts are accessible by the plug on the mating side of the sled when the plug is inserted into the aperture and wherein the first plurality of contacts generally are disposed in a first common plane on the non-mating side of the sled, a second plurality of contacts wrapped around the sled so as to extend from the non-mating side of the sled to t he mating side of the sled, wherein the second plurality of contacts are accessible by the plug on the mating side of the sled when the plug is inserted into the aperture and wherein the second plurality of contacts generally are disposed in a second common plane on the non-mating side of the sled, the second common plane being distinct from the first common plane of the first plurality of contacts, and wherein at least one of the contacts from the first plurality contacts includes an intermediate portion on the non-mating side of the sled wherein the intermediate portion is bent substantially out of the first common plane in the direction of at least one of the second plurality of contacts to enhance the electrical performance of the jack.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a telecommunications system having a plurality of jacks for receiving plugs therein, each of the jacks including a housing having an aperture for receiving one of the plugs, a sled having a mating side and a non-mating side, the mating side generally disposed to be accessible from the aperture by one of the plugs, a first plurality of contacts wrapped around the sled so as to extend from the non-mating side of the sled to the mating side of the sled, the first plurality of contacts being accessible by one of the plugs on the mating side of the sled when the plug is inserted into the aperture, a second plurality of contacts wrapped around the sled so as to extend from the non-mating side of the sled to the mating side of the sled, the second plurality of contacts being accessible by one of the plugs on the mating side of the sled when the plug is inserted into the aperture, and a floating shield generally disposed between the first plurality of contacts and the second plurality of contacts on the non-mating side of the sled.